Art of defecatingthe juices of sugar-producing plants



Unrrnn PATENT OFFICE. I

HENRY A. NVEBER, OF URBANA, AND MELVILL A. SOOVELL, OF

ILLINOIS.

CHAMPAIGN,

ARTOF DEFECATINGTHEJUICES OF SUGAR-PRODUCINGPLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming pait of Letters Patent No. 285,939, dated October 2, 1883. Application filed December 26, 1882. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY A. WEBER and MELVILL A. ScovELL, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively. at Urbana, in the county of Ohampaign and State of Illinois, and at Champaign, county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in the Art of Defecating the J uices of,

Sugar-Producing Plants; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact descriptionof the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to use the same.

It is well known that in the process of evaporation of the juices from sorghum, sugarcane, sugar-beets, and other sugar-produeing plants, even after thorough defecation inthe usual way, a separation of feeulent matter continually occurs, which matter musteither be removed by skimming or allowed to subside in settlingtanks. The separation of this feculent matter, even after the most thorough ordinary defecation is due to the fact, discovered by ourselves, that a portion of the foreign matter in the juice requires a higher temperature for coagulation than that at which the fresh juice boils; hence the continual rising of scum or the formation of a sediment as the liquor is concentrated by evaporation and its boiling-point becomes higher is readily explained. In order to free the juice from these impurities at once in the process of defecation,

.we heat it, after neutralization with lime or its equivalent, to a temperature sufficiently high to cause a coagulation and separation of all these impurities. This temperature is about 230 Fahrenhciti. 0.. about the temperature at which sirup of ordinary density boils in an open vessel. Similar results were obtained by varying the degree of heat but the tempera ture mentioned above we have found to be the most practical. This heating is done in closed vessels.

For the benefit of those who wish to apply this process, we give a description of the apparatus used by us, and which has proved to be quite satisfactory. V

The closed defecators referred to may be constructed in a variety of ways. The form which we have found to be mostpractical,

'best adapted is about four feet in diameter however, is that of a cylinder, as this form readily admits of construction so as to withstand the pressure to which the vessel is sub j ected. For ordinary sugar -works the size and eight feet high. The heating is done by steannwhich may be applied either by means of a jacket or of a copper coil on the inside. IVe prefer the coil. An upright coil is preferable to a horizontal coil. The bottom of the defecator should be conical, with an opening at the lowest point for the withdrawal of the sediment. For drawing off the defecated liquor; it is advisable-to supply three valves or stop-cocks, the first one being placed about siX inches from the bottom and the other two four and eight inches higher, respectively. A valve or stop-cock should be placed about eight inches from the top, which is to be open, when the defecator is filled for the escape of air. The defccator is filled only up to this point. The airspace above allows room for the expansion'of the liquor. Below this valve, and at a convenient point, a thermometer is inserted for the purpose of the determination of the temperature. The upper head of the defeeator contains a man-hole, so as to allow ready access to the interior in case of necessity. The defecator being thus charged with juice, heat is applied until the thermometer shows a temperature of about 230 Fahrenheit. Then the steam is turned off. Owing to the fact that under the existing circumstances the liquor remains quiet in the vessel, the sediment begins to sink as soon as it is formed, and in half an hour, at most,after the prescribed temperature has been reached the feculent matter has all settled to the bottom. Even after the sediment has all subsided, it will not answer to open the defeeator nor to withdraw the juice so long as the temperature is above the boilinglpoint of the juice 1Z. 6., above 210 to 212 Fahrenheit-unlcss the pressure 011 the surface of the liquor-is maintained, for in this case ebullition would take place and the sediment be agitated. Thecooling of so large a mass of liquid by radiation requires some hours, and, if no other means could be employed for a more speedy withdrawal of the juice, a large number of dcfecators would be required for I00 .covered.

the defecator with the steam-supply and turnin g on steam just before drawing off the liquor.

The latter method is much more expeditious and economical, as the excess of heat above 210 Fahrenheit isemployed for evaporation, and is not wasted. After the clear liquor is drawn off, the valve at the bottom is opened and the sediment emptied into asettling-tank. By accumulating these sediments and allowing them to settle, practically all the liquor which escapes with the sediment can be re- The advantages of our process of defecation as above described are as follows: first, complete defecation of the juice, which prevents the continual rising of scum or the formation of a sediment during the process of evaporation; second, as the liquid in the closed defecators is always at rest, the feculent matter collects at the bottom, and the clear juice can be drawn off from above it; third, a great saving of sugar ordinarily lost by skimming; fourth,

a saving of the labor ordinarily expended in skimming, both in defecatin g and evaporating; fifth, a great saving of time .usually employed in defecating; sixth, a greater yield of crystallized sugar by reason of the greater purity of the liquor.

Ve are aware that the juices of sugar-producing plants have been defecated by heating them in a vessel where the air was excluded by a cover; but in such defecator there was a steam-escape, permitting the escape of the steam generated in heating the juice. We do not, therefore, include in our claims the defecating of the juices of sugar-producing plants by excluding the air from them; but,

Having fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. The process hereinbefore described of defecating the juices of sorghum, sugar-cane, and other sugar-producing plants by heating these juices abovethe ordinary boiling-point.

2. The process hereinbefore described of defecating the juices of sugar-producing plants by superheating them in closed vessels.

3. The. process hereinbefore described of defecating the juices of sugar-producing plants by superheating these juices in closed vessels after neutralizing with lime or its equivalent.

4. The process hereinbefore described of defecating the juices of sorghum, sugar-cane, and other sugar-producing plants by superheating these juices in closed vessels, under pressure, after neutralization with lime or its equivalent, and, allowing the sediment to collect at the bottom of the vessels, drawing off the clear liquor. 1 I

HENRY A. \VEBER. MELVILL A. SOOVELL.

\Vitnesses:

D. B. Howsn, O. M. SHERRY. 

